Rail-clamp



W. F. MORRISON.

HAIL CLAMP.

APPLlcM'loNl meomn. s. 192|.

Pammpr. 19, 1921'. Y

A TTORNEYS.

WILLIAM F. MORRISON', OF VALLEJO, CALIFORNIA.

RAIL-CLAMP. l

4Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented Apr. 19, 1921.

Application ied January 3, .1921. serialy Np. 434,439. Y

To all 'whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM F.'M oinn soN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Vallejo, in the county Solano` and State provide a tie of the character described which will positivelyhold the rails against spreading and which will be easy to assemble, there being rail clamping means of simple, strong and inexpensive construction,

and tie reinforcing means whichv latter will provide adequate strength and resiliency in the tie.

Another object is to provide in a tie of the character described a rail clamp which is small, compact, consists of few parts, iscapable of being readily and easily assembled and disassembled and which provides maximum holding action against spreading of the rails.

The invention possesses other advantages and features some of which, with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline in full that form of the invention which I have selected for illustration in the drawings accompanying and forming a part of the present specification. In said drawings I have shown one form of the construction of my invention, but it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to such form since the invention as expressed in the claims may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

Referring to the drawings Figure l is a fragmentary top plan view of a section of a railway track at a point, showing the ties of my invention as they would appear when in use.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the tie and clamp at one end of the tie showing the rail in section.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken longitudinally through one end of the tie and showing the rail clamp in side elevation and in section.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through the tie. f

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of-the rail clamp member. f j Referring to the present embodiment of the invention -as shown in. the accompanying drawing, the tie embodies aconcrete body 1 having double arched or bowed rein-V forcing rods 2 embedded therein and extending longitudinally thereof fromend Vto end. rll`he arch 3 of said rods has its highest point or center disposed near the `upper side of the tie at one end and the arch 4 is correspondingly arranged at the other end of the tie, the center arch 5 lthus provided, being invertedand with its lowest points near the under side of the'tie and centrally of the ends of the tie. Straight reinforcing rods 6 extend between and engage the arches 3 and 4 on opposite sides of the arches and extend horizontally above the inverted center arch 5. These rodsl add strength to the reinforcement and increase the resiliency of the tie as a whole. Similar straight rods 7 extend between each of the arches 3 and 4 and abutv opposite lower end portions of said archeswas shown in Fig. 4. i Y

These reinforcing rods ,2, 6 and 7 are designed and relatively arranged to provide for maximum reinforcing action and resiliency without necessitating the use of a multiplicity of reinforcing members and thus provide for a cheaper and lighter tie which is protected against cracking and chipping as well and made strong, more durable and suitably resilient.

In the upper side of the tie near each end thereof a rectangular recess 8 is formed and said recess receives a flat metal rail supporting plate 10 which plate is flush onits upper side and on opposite sides with the top and sides of the tie. Formed in each plate near each end thereof is a rectangular recess 11 adapted to receive a rail clamping member l2. The member l2 has a rectangular lug lf3 on its lower side andrsaid lug ts snugly within the recess so as to prevent slipping of the clamp members. A bolt 14 is inserted through the plate at each recess and extends through each recess with itsV threaded end disposed well above plate 10.

concrete body of thetie below the under face of the plate 10. The clamping memi bers 12 have central aperatures 16 through f fish plates 21.

which the bolts extend. Nuts 17 are turned onthe bolts and hold the members 12 in place. The outerends of said members l2 on the upper side thereofare cut away as at 18 and slope or taper outwardly so as to reduce the weight of said member. The inner ends of the members 12 havebeveled under faces 19 adapted to engage the flanges 20 of the rails 21. i

At the joints of the track two ties, one on each side of the joint as shown in Fig. 1 are used. The fish plates 21 in angle iron form extend from one tie to the other and lie upon the base and shank of the rails.`

Each fish plateis out away on its lower outer edge to provide a notch or outwardly opening recess `22` in which the member 12 engages. The ish plates extend beyond the flanges or bases of the rails and the notches orrecesses permit of the engagement of the ,member 12 in overlapping relation upon the basesor flanges of the rails. The fitting of the clamp members 12 in the notches 22 insures the positive and secure holding of the clampmembers in place. .The lug 13 abuts the edge of the rail flange or base and is in part received in the notch of the fish plate.

provided together with strength and durability, inasmuch as the strains and loads from the rails are taken up in part by said rods as well as by the tie itself.

While I have shown only one of the reinforcing rods and its cooperating parts it is to be understood that any numberof said reinforcing elements` may be used.

I claim:

1. In combination'with a rail tie, "a, rail and a fish plate a part of which extends over the base of the rail and is notched at its outer edge, of a rail supporting plate on the tie provided with a recess in its upper side, a rail clamping member engaging in the notch in said iish plateVa lug on the underside and between the ends of said member being engaged in said recess, a bolt extending through the plate, the lug and said member, and a nut threaded on the upper end of said bolt, vsaid lug having engagement with the adjacent outer edge of the base of the rail.

2; In combination with a rail tie, a rail and a fish plate a part of which extends over the base of the rail and is notched at its outer edge, of a rail supporting plate on the tie provided with a recess in its upper side, a rail clamping member engaging in the notch in said fish plate, a lug on the under side andV between the ends of said member being engaged in said recess, a bolt extending through the plate, the lug and 'iol said member, and a nut threaded on the upper end of said bolt, said lug having engagement with the adjacent outer edge of the base of the rail, saidfish plate portion extending beyond the outer edge of the rail base and receiving said lug in the end in the notch formed therein.

WILLIAM F. MORRISON. 

